Camryn Quinn is finally getting what she wants...sort of. Moving into a dorm and away from her not so supportive father is a good first step, but like everything with him, it comes with strings. She must attend the college of his choosing for at lea...
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I'm packing up the rest of the hotel room when I hear a knock on the door. It could be Alyssa, considering her things are still strewn throughout the room and our flight leaves in four hours. I called her six times attempting to get her to come pack, but she and Anderson have been on an all out celebration bender since the game two nights ago. The fact that she's lost her key isn't surprising. I think every single person in this city has been drunk since the game.
The Bulldogs barely won their first playoff game, only sliding by with a walk off field goal. I thankfully didn't have to travel to that game, not that southern California in January doesn't sound amazing, but it was the first week of the new year. Staying in Ohio with Gabi and Alyssa for the remainder of the break felt necessary. Grey took it upon himself to cover the game for the newspaper, but apparently he hates football, and crowds, and vowed to never do it again. It's how Alyssa and I ended up here in Texas, covering the championship game that happened two days ago.
The final game went much like the second playoff game. Every single player seemed out for blood, and their motivation was unmatched to either team they played. The second playoff game was a blowout, and the championship game wasn't much different. From the beginning, my brother and his offense ran the field. And when they didn't, the team's defense quickly recovered the ball to bring it back into Cal's hands. He and Taylor combined, practically scoring all of the team's forty two points.
It made it that much harder to stand on the sidelines and capture their reactions for the newspaper. Not because I wasn't happy for them, but because my body begged me to be right in the mix, letting them hoist me up in the air so my chants of celebration could be heard over the crowds.
I didn't hold myself back from cheering, but on a more controlled level. I let my assignment be the driving force of my actions, and it was enough to preserve me so I could at least make it through the game. I've never found myself particularly excited to see Grey's face, but I can't wait to watch him see the game from my perspective.
An abundance of fans made the trip to Houston, and the roar of the crowd is barely contained within the pixels of the pictures. The stands seemed to bleed red and black, and the camaraderie amongst the masses felt like a once in a lifetime experience. A few teams have won back to back titles, but State accomplished a rare deed by winning. The team became the first to win three in a row since the twenties, and having the chance to capture history is a high I haven't quite come down from.
And the pictures I took are the perfect way to finish off the portfolio I'll send with my applications in just a few weeks.
All was fine until the game ended. As the clock struck zero, and the celebrations began, it became nearly impossible to remain stationary on the field. I kept my camera at the ready, but bodies were moving in every direction, and I found myself bumping into Taylor unintentionally. It was brief. He was immediately pulled away for a postgame interview, but the single touch was enough to reignite that flame between us.
